Next year when "Last Christmas" gets played on the radio, it will probably not spread the joy of Christmas as much as it will remind me of the loss this Christmas has brought. In case you missed it, George Michael passed away in his sleep over Christmas. He was 53. I heard the news late on Boxing Day and it put a damper on my whole Christmas.
George Michael, as part of Wham!, is among the many artists who introduced me to pop music. I was too young to notice his good looks back then, but got attracted by the fun spirit of the band. The album "Fantastic!" got played by me over and over again, and I used to imitate the dance routines or make up my own.
I pretty much grew up with them and by the time George Michael went solo I still paid attention to him. "Faith" has always been one of my favorite albums, and still gets a few of my listens a few times a year. His greatest hits album, "Ladies and Gentlemen", also passes by on a regular basis.
The early solo albums contained very personal tracks that showed the worries on his mind. He was worried about the decision to leave Wham and try it on his own (described in "Faith") and worried about his lawsuit against Sony Music (described in "Freedom"). Both tracks also showed positivity for change in the future, and more control.
I always wondered whether he became happier after. It just seemed like he wasn't. It's always puzzled me, which is why it surprised me when I watched documentaries and interviews with him, how 'together' and focused he actually appeared to be. He even ended up becoming to go-to guy for many young pop stars who struggling with fame (Geri Halliwell, Robbie Williams), but it's not like things seemed to become any easier for him either. From the outside looking in, he looked like he was lost.
His music took on a slower pace from his second solo albu onwards. It got influenced by jazz, soul and the occasional brush with dance music. The last news about new music hinted at an upcoming dance album (with the collaboration of Naughty Boy). I hope now that they were far into creating the album, because I'd still want to hear it now he's gone.
Needless to say, he will me missed musically. This year has been extra tough on music lovers across the globe. We had to encounter too many big losses.
